Completeing the Gilcrease Hills expressway

[AquaMan]

I'm interested in the possible FLW building. My understanding is that the only FLW building in Tulsa is WestHope. (Currently for sale, if anyone is looking for a really cool fixer-upper.)  

Do you think this is actually FLW, or is it Bruce Goff, or another of FLW's disciples?  (Just checked the Goff site, and can't find anything there, either.)

Rebound, you could be right. I'm at the age where I say, "I used to know where I got that story...". It could have been in one of the Tulsa World books on Tulsa history, or it could have been one of the locals who told me. It remember reading it was early in the architect's career. Something about "Equitable Metering" comes to mind but when I was told the story I visited the building and could see Deco elements in its style. Then they covered up the windows and I feared it would be destroyed. I will go by there today.

note: I just visited a list of Deco buildings on Wikipedia and it lists the building as Midwest Equitable Meter at 3130 Charles Page blvd, built in 1929 but it doesn't list the architect. Would have been about the right time for either Goff or FLW. Also of interest in the area is a nice little fire station at 3924 Charles Page blvd built in 1931 by Albert Joseph Love.

[rebound]

Rebound, you could be right. I'm at the age where I say, "I used to know where I got that story...". It could have been in one of the Tulsa World books on Tulsa history, or it could have been one of the locals who told me. It remember reading it was early in the architect's career. Something about "Equitable Metering" comes to mind but when I was told the story I visited the building and could see Deco elements in its style. Then they covered up the windows and I feared it would be destroyed. I will go by there today.

note: I just visited a list of Deco buildings on Wikipedia and it lists the building as Midwest Equitable Meter at 3130 Charles Page blvd, built in 1929 but it doesn't list the architect. Would have been about the right time for either Goff or FLW. Also of interest in the area is a nice little fire station at 3924 Charles Page blvd built in 1931 by Albert Joseph Love.

I've been told since my earlier post that the Meter company building is by Goff.  I hope whatever happens, that building is protected and refurbished.   We've lost too much good architecture in Tulsa.  Thanks for the info!

[brettakins]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/final-stretch-of-gilcrease-expressway-to-be-finished-as-turnpike/article_4245a629-7c5d-511c-a406-ca627f2300fd.html

City leaders will announce a plan early next month to complete the Gilcrease Expressway using a unique funding approach that includes turnpike tolls.
Invitations from Mayor G.T. Bynum and Gov. Mary Fallin are being delivered this week to area leaders for a March 10 event at Chandler Park, 6500 W. 21st St., to announce details of the plan.
"It's a partnership between the city of Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and Oklahoma Department of Transportation (which are) committed to the completion of the concept of the Gilcrease Expressway," Tulsa Deputy Mayor Michael Junk told the Tulsa World.
The Gilcrease Expressway project began in the 1950s to create a loop around the city. Finished portions largely include Interstate 44 and Oklahoma 11, and the planned loop has stalled at a necessary crossing of the Arkansas River west of downtown.
The final portion needed to complete the loop, west and northwest of downtown, will require a substantial investment, largely for a bridge across the river.
At current funding rates that come largely from local contributions, the project is scheduled for completion close to 2050 — 100 years after it was started.
The approach being announced March 10 — while still requiring more pieces to fall into place — will be a multisource funding process to complete the loop with a turnpike and a substantially quicker timeline than current funding allows, Junk said.
"It will be a turnpike," Junk said.
"It's a result of many months of planning and coordinating. ... We have seen the need for access to that side of Tulsa."
The project has two main goals: to provide road access for development of northwest Tulsa and to lighten the wear and tear that heavy traffic puts on Tulsa's Inner Dispersal Loop, Junk said.
One key component of turning the new part of the loop into a turnpike is that the city of Tulsa wouldn't ultimately be on the hook for maintaining the roadway, Junk said.
"There's going to be a lot of questions regarding the viability of this project," Junk said. "We have done an extensive study to ensure the need of the project."

[Conan71]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/final-stretch-of-gilcrease-expressway-to-be-finished-as-turnpike/article_4245a629-7c5d-511c-a406-ca627f2300fd.html

I'm disappointed Bynum would push this forward.  This is either a great example of a solution looking for a problem, or maybe my thinking is not far enough into the future to see the necessity of it and he's being visionary by getting the wheels turning on this.

It turns out I was wrong about how underutilized the Creek Turnpike would be for years after it was completed, but Tulsa was also growing south that that time, especially along the Memorial corridor.  

I could see once Tulsa is filled in completely to the south and east to the neighboring suburbs NW might be a growth corridor, but only if people are willing to sell their nice peaceful parcels of land for subdivisions or apartment developments.

I see how much cities like Austin have been over-built and it has always been my hope that Tulsa would avoid a similar fate.  Perhaps if I were around 20 and more inclined to live in a larger city rather than around 50 and in the process of moving to rural New Mexico, I might have a different perspective on this road and potentially developing some of the last areas of open space close into the city.

[Conan71]

Private investor found to fund the turnpike:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/turnpike-involving-private-investor-will-help-secure-million-needed-to/article_d771b587-3253-58d0-9280-123b21f2d5b4.html?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=Breaking%20News&utm_campaign=Breaking%20News

[Townsend]

Private investor found to fund the turnpike:

Fallin said finishing the Gilcrease has been a priority for her since she was first elected.
"One of the first things I told Secretary Ridley was, 'Get this thing done,'" she said.

Which she then was heard saying (under her breath) "I'm so full of poo"

[brettakins]

Gilcrease Expressway working group meets for first time

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/gilcrease-expressway-working-group-meets-for-first-time/article_931ca3d0-1f40-58f7-939f-797ed3d0d408.html

[brettakins]

Expansion Of Gilcrease Expressway May Happen Sooner Than Planned
http://www.newson6.com/story/36834145/expansion-of-gilcrease-expressway-may-happen-sooner-than-planned

If everything continues as planned, by this time next year we should see construction underway.

"Yes, finally its coming together," Keith said.

The total price tag for the project is $300 million.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Big ole bucket of stupid.   Just what we need - spend another $300 million for a road to nowhere.

[TheArtist]

Big ole bucket of stupid.   Just what we need - spend another $300 million for a road to nowhere.

That way the same population of people can spread out even more and have more roads to complain about how bad a shape they are in and at the same time gripe when they are told they need to pay more for the, more roads (and fire, and police, and mowing, and snow removal, pothole repair, lighting, etc. 

[swake]

It would help to balance Tulsa's growth around downtown. Some sprawl around cities is inevitable and better there than past Coweta or Collinsville.

That said, that area, despite it being beautiful, will never grow with it's current school district situation no matter what kind of access it has.

[SXSW]

It would help to balance Tulsa's growth around downtown. Some sprawl around cities is inevitable and better there than past Coweta or Collinsville.

That said, that area, despite it being beautiful, will never grow with it's current school district situation no matter what kind of access it has.

You know people said the same thing about the Stapleton neighborhood in Denver when the airport moved.  Developers wanted to turn the site into a residential neighborhood next to some of the city's worst neighborhoods with bad schools.  So to counter that the local district (DPS) set guidelines that only residents in the new neighborhood could attend the new schools.  And attracted by (then) cheaper new housing a few miles from downtown the area grew and 25 years after the airport closed there are 35,000 people living in Stapleton with 4 elem schools, 2 middle schools and a high school. 

[TheArtist]

You know people said the same thing about the Stapleton neighborhood in Denver when the airport moved.  Developers wanted to turn the site into a residential neighborhood next to some of the city's worst neighborhoods with bad schools.  So to counter that the local district (DPS) set guidelines that only residents in the new neighborhood could attend the new schools.  And attracted by (then) cheaper new housing a few miles from downtown the area grew and 25 years after the airport closed there are 35,000 people living in Stapleton with 4 elem schools, 2 middle schools and a high school. 

Yea another similar example, Glenpool had some of the worst test scores and such in the entire area but once growth began to spill over into that area the scores went up.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Yea another similar example, Glenpool had some of the worst test scores and such in the entire area but once growth began to spill over into that area the scores went up.

Some of the kids went to Glenpool in early 80's... not strong schools at that time, but they did ok...then Jenks and that was a hot mess.  If you weren't some of the rich kids - ours weren't - it was not a friendly place to be.  Got out of there and went to Tulsa and Union with a short branch out to BA for a year.  All of which were better for the less rich kids.   But then when a grandkid went to Union High about 5 years ago, after being raised in southern Louisiana schools, her comment was, "that school is soooo ghetto..."

[Conan71]

Well, we are all up in arms out in Cimarron about the new trails the mule deer are taking as a by-pass from Philmont to Ted Turner's ranch.  They transit my land all the time and aren't even paying toll.

It's scandalous I tell you!